Quilting-frame.



- "No. 642,786. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

B. M06. DAVES. GUILTING FRAME.

(Application filed Sept. 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Ji-lrm s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

BENJAMINE MCCULLOUGH DAVES, OF MIMOSA, TENNESSEE.

QUILTING-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,786, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed $eptember 13,1899. Serial No. 730,346- (No model.) 7

T aZZ 20720777, it may concern.-.

Be it known that I, BENJAMINE McOUL- LOU GH DAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mimosa, in the county of Lincoln and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Quilting-Frame, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in quilting-frames to be used in connection with a sewing-machine or when quilting or embroidering by hand.

The essential object of the present invention is to provide means for facilitating the arrangement of the quilter on. a sewing-machine table and also to have the quilt or embroidery supporting rollers supplied with convenient attaching means and holding devices to accommodate a regular feed or change of position of the quilt or embroidery and maintain a uniformity of tension, which will ease the sewing-machine in its operation, particularly in heavy filled quilts.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined description and be pointed out in the claims, and to this end reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar parts are indicated by like characters in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved quilting-frame shown applied in operative position on a sewing-machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the quiltholding part of the frame. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a part of the frame and one of the rollers.

The numeral 1 designates opposite end bars connected at their terminals by side bars 2, extending full length of the frame, the opposite terminals of the end bars having the reduced ends of a roller 3 bearing therein. The end bars 1 are also connected by an intermediate longitudinally-disposed bar 4, and between the same and the bar 2 the opposite ends of the roller 5 also have bearing in the said end bars. The bar 4 is inclined and has the lower corner next the roller 5 rounded, as at 4, for the quilt to pass under. The roller 3 has a series of loops or eyes 6 fastened therein and arranged in longitudinal alinement for attachment thereto, by means of stitches 7, of one end of a quilt 8, which is initially wound on the roller 5 and fed from the latter during the quilting operation. At one end each of the rollers 3 and 5 is surrounded by a metallic band 9, having openings 10 therein coinciding with similar openings formed in the material of which the said rollers are composed. These openings 10 receive the hooked ends 11 of adjacently-situated hook-arms 12 and are held by this means in adjusted position to prevent slackening or unrolling of the quilt during thequilting operation. On the roller 5 is secured a canvas or other textile-fabric leader 13, having in its free edge a wire binding or rod 14, and to which the end of the quilt opposite to that attached to the roller 3 is secured by stitches 15. The purpose of the leader 13 is to permit the quilt to be stitched close to the edge in finishing the same, and the binding wire or rod 14 serves as an efficient means of holding the edge of the quilt in connection with the leader and prevents tearing out the latter. This reinforce connection between the quilt and leader also permits considerable tension tobe applied, and, furthermore, the end of the quilt or that portion thereof connected to the leader is held up and given a certain amount of rigidity by the binding wire or rod in the final quilting operation. The said binding wire or rod 14 might also be employed in some instances for a guide for the eye in directing the line of stitches, and in the operation of the device as thus far described, the quilt or embroidery, as the case may be, is gradually unwound from the roller 5 and wound upon the roller 3 until the en-- tire quilt or fabric to be embroidered has been completely traversed as desired in accordance with a predetermined design or to complete the quilting operation. During the quilting or embroidering operation the quilt or fabric is adjusted or moved from'one of the rollers to the other closely against the under rounded edge at of the intermediate bar 4, and thus held taut,with obvious advantages.

The quilting-frame, as just described, is adapted to be adj ustably suspended, and secured to the bar 4; and bar 2 are opposite ends of yoke-brackets 16, provided with vertically-disposed attaching projections 17 ,supplied with a series of vertically-alined transsaid arms and projections by means of removable bolts or analogous fastenings 24c. Grooved rollers 25 are held above the opposite end portions of the suspending-bar 21 by means of suitable clips 26, the said rollers having movement on a suspending wire or cord 27, arranged within a compartment at a suitable elevation and providing-means for moving the frame longitudinally and correspondingly to the feed of the machine.

broidery longitudinally of the frame supporting the same it is often necessary and desirable to run diagonal lines of stitches or else follow irregular and curved contours in order to carry out accrt-ain design. For this purpose the swinging bar 20 is used, and to hold this bar against movement during the j side bar rigidly connected, an intermediate application of longitudinal lines of stitches loops 28 are secured to the swinging bar 20 and suspending-bar 21 in such manner that they can be arranged in vertical alinement and receive a locking pin or bolt 29, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Through the medium of the adjustable connection of the arms 19 with the projections 17 of the brackets 16 the elevation of the frame supporting the quilt can be varied at will, and, furthermore, if it is desired to turn the quilting-frame up out of the way or to examine the underside of the same the said projections are free to turn on the arms 19 for this purpose. It is also necessary to have the rollers removable from the frame in the operation of framing the quilt, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and to accomplish this both rollers are each held at one end by a removable pin 30, extending longitudinally thereinto, and when said pins are withdrawn the rollers may be taken out of the frame. The pivotal attachment of the The lower extremities of Instead of stitching the quilt or working em-,

arms 19 to the projections 17 also permits the parts to be folded or reduced to compact form forstorage. Otheradvantagcs willalsoappear from time to time, and the proportions, size, and minor details of construction may be changed without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a frame, rollers mounted therein, one of which is adapted to receive a quilt or fabric, a leader applied to the opposite roller, and a binding wire or rod in the edge of the leader, to which one edge of the quilt or fabric is adapted to be connected.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a frame comprising opposite end bars and a side bar, an intermediate bar rigidly fixed to and extending from one end bar to the other and obliquely arranged relatively to said end bars, rollers journalcd in the end bars on opposite sides of the intermediate bar, the quilt or fabric being drawn against the one lower corner of the said obliquely arranged intermediate bar, and means for suspending the said frame.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a frame containing rollers and comprising opposite end bars and a bar obliquely arranged relatively to said end bars and fixed to and extending from one end bar to the other, the rollers being located on opposite sides of the intermediate bars, brackets rising vertically and fixedly from portions of the said side and intermediate bars and spanning the interval between the latter, a suspending-bar having rollers movable on a suspending device, a swinging bar pivotally connected to the suspending-bar and having vertical depending arms adjustably attached to portions of the brackets, and means on the suspending and swinging bars for holding the same together and preventing movement of the swinging bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMINE llIcCULLOUGIl DAVES.

Witnesses:

II. L. MOORE, M. B. WEBB. 

